In current cellular or land line telecommunications systems using an AIN to implement services, such as one number calling, and phone and roaming status queries, one or more of the AIN system components communicate with the telecommunications network in which the phone is operating. FIG. 1 illustrates a service node or service control point (“SCP”) 104 running an application 102. Application 102 determines the type of communications network over which a call is transmitted to a user.
After the determination is made, a query is sent to the telecommunications network using the appropriate communications logic. For example, if it is a TDMA network, ANSI 41 logic 106 is used to construct an ANSI 41 message with the appropriate parameters and send the message, via SS7 signaling, to the TDMA network 108. As another example, if it is a GSM network, Map logic 110 is used to construct a map message with the appropriate parameters and send the message, via SS7 signaling, to the GSM network 112. In turn, TDMA and GSM networks (108 and 112) communicate with their respective phones (114 and 116) to retrieve the requested information. Once the network has received the requested information, a response is forwarded to the appropriate communications logic in application 102 for the response to be un-marshaled and used.
In one possible operation of the telecommunication system discussed above, if application 102 wished to determine whether a mobile or land line phone is available or unavailable, the telecommunication system may attempt to call the phone number associated with the phone, through the appropriate communications logic and the communications network in which the phone is operating. In attempting to call the phone, if the phone is not answered or the caller hangs up, the telecommunications network may exhaust four or five ring cycles before proceeding to call the next phone number.
To implement the operation discussed above, at the application level, a determination is made as to the type of telecommunications network (e.g., TDMA, GSM, or some other communications network). Then, based on the determination of the type of telecommunications network, the appropriately formatted message is sent to the telecommunications network; and, upon receipt of a response, the response is un-marshaled into the appropriate format for application 102.
To develop an application, which performs the functions described above, a developer requires a hardware platform, such as a service node, a service control point, a PC, or some other component of the AIN with the appropriate interface cards (e.g., SS7 cards) to the telecommunications networks. In addition to the required hardware, the developer will also require knowledge of the protocols used to communicate with the various telecommunications networks (e.g., ANSI 41 and map protocols) and the ability to set up the chosen hardware platform.